


My Purpose in Life

by PurrtlePuff



Series: The Supernatural Adventures of Jacksepticeye [9]
Category: Youtuber RPF
Genre: Gen, also i didn't plan on it but amy shows up too, and ethan is a cute jelly, and guess which asshole you get to meet for the first time, but she isn't in the end so pay attention, chica is in this, he's a stubborn butt, in which jack tries to write a wrong happening in the supernatural world, only tyler's not too keen on it, you know like always, you're going to love hating him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-20
Updated: 2017-07-20
Packaged: 2018-12-04 14:57:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11557569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurrtlePuff/pseuds/PurrtlePuff
Summary: Not every Supernatural creature is out to hurt humans. Sometimes it's the humans who are more of a threat. Jack is presented with a rather pressing problem, one that will help shape his life forever.Now if this new guy Tyler would let him do what he needs to, that'd be great.





	My Purpose in Life

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, this went nowhere where I was expecting it, which is why it took so long to get out. It pretty much shaped how this act of the AU was going to end. Needless to say, it was going to end much differently, but I like this ending a lot better.
> 
> I don't know when part 10 is going to come out, but it won't be two months between chapters like the last one (hopefully). 
> 
> And fair warning, the ending is not resolved. It runs right into part 10, so if you're one of those people who don't like suspense, don't read this one until part 10. You've been warned :)
> 
> Have fun!

“So, you haven’t seen him around, I’m guessing?” Robin tapped the side of his glass. He watched Jack try to swallow down his coffee. Jack’s eyes had deep bags around them, and his hair looked like it hadn’t been brushed in a few days. Robin figured the incident with Felix would affect Jack somehow, but he never imagined Jack would be up every night looking for his friend.

Jack shook his head. He took another sip of his coffee and rested his head against the cool glass of the window.

“I’m sure he’ll come back soon,” Signe said as she swirled her coffee around. “Felix always comes back, doesn’t he?

Jack shrugged. It was almost a week since Felix disappeared. Signe said PJ found him that night when… Jack shuddered. Felix said he wanted to be alone for a while. Jack translated that to Felix avoiding the problem like he always did.

Cry walked over to the table with another coffee in hand. He sat beside Robin and passed the coffee to Jack.

“Look, I’ve known Felix for a long time. He’ll get over this,” Cry sent Jack a smile. Jack’s lips twitched into a smile, but they soon went back to their default. Cry opened his mouth to speak again when the bell to the door chimed. “Just give him some time. When he figures out how to say ‘I’m sorry,’ he’ll be back.”

Cry slid back out of the seat and turned around. He hummed and tilted his head to the right. Robin watched him walk over to the two customers and turned his attention back to Jack.

“Hey, Robin and I were thinking of going to the movies tonight. You want to come?” Signe asked.

Jack shook his head. “Don’t know if I’ll stay awake for it. I don’t want to ruin your night.”

“Wow, never thought you’d tell me you were tired,” Signe mumbled and took a sip of her coffee. Robin looked back over Jack’s shoulder and back at Jack. Jack raised an eyebrow. Robin glanced up and back at Jack again.

Jack creased his brow. Did Robin want him to look behind them? His heart pounded. Jack swung his head around, fully intending to see bright blue eyes staring back at him.

What he got was a bright green- almost blue- wide eyes staring back at him. His shirt looked two times too big, and he had a mop of blue hair at the top of his head. The boy tugged on the sleeve of the man next to him, who was talking to Cry.

The other man, who wore a gray beanie with curly brown hair poking out from under it, turned to look at him. The boy pointed in Jack’s direction, and Jack turned around in his seat. He heard Cry offer them a spot up at the bar so they could talk more. Signe turned around in her seat to get a view of what was going on.

“Huh, I’ve never seen them around before,” she mused. “I wonder if they’re new in town.”

“I think… I think the one with blue hair could see Robin and me,” Jack said.

“Or he was marveling at the fact that you both have vibrant hair on your head,” Robin said with a smirk.

Jack made a face and took a sip of his coffee. He looked over at the bar. The blue haired boy was still staring at him, his eyes wide.

“I think you should go say hello,” Signe said.

Jack looked over at her, and she gave his shoulder a gentle push. He looked over at Robin for support, but apparently, something outside the window was more interesting. Jack sighed and slid out of his booth.

As Jack started to walk over, he saw the boy shifted in his seat. He started tugging on the other man’s sleeve again.

“Tyler!” he kept repeating. His companion, who must’ve been Tyler, turned and looked at Jack.

“Yes, he’s got hair like you,” he said. The boy’s face grew puzzled, and he looked back at Jack. Jack sat next to him, and the boy pressed into Tyler’s shoulder. Tyler’s eyebrow rose. “Oh, now you’re shy.”

Cry laughed on the other side of the counter.

The boy stared at Jack, his mouth open a bit in awe. Jack couldn’t help but laugh nervously.

“Hello,” Jack said.

The boy tilted his head to the right and closed his mouth. He repeated, “Hello.”

Tyler looked over at Jack. “I don’t think he knows a lot of English. He hasn’t said anything but my name and ‘thank you’ to me.” Tyler looked ready to continue but stopped. “I think his name is Ethan.”

The boy turned at his name, a bright smile on his face. Ethan then looked back at Jack.

“It’s nice to meet you, Ethan. I’m Jack,” he greeted and looked over at Cry. Cry’s smile grew, and he walked away from the counter. What the heck that about?

Cry finished making a coffee for Tyler and Ethan. He set the cups down in front of them.

Ethan watched the steam come out of the cup. He ran his hands through the steam and rubbed his fingers together, examining the droplets that touched his skin. His hand reached out and grabbed the cup. For a while, he stared at the liquid then looked up at Tyler.

“It’s coffee,” Tyler said, bringing the cup up to his lips and taking a sip.

Ethan watched Tyler put the cup down. He brought his own cup to his lips and tipped it back. Immediately, he put the cup down and covered his mouth.

Tyler started to laugh. “Careful, it’s hot.”

Ethan’s face wrinkled like he ate a lemon. He pushed the cup back on the counter and earned a hearty laugh from Cry.

“I’m guessing he’s not a fan,” Cry said between his laughs. He picked up the cup and put it behind the counter. Cry turned away from them and filled a glass of water. He put it down in front of Ethan, who drank the whole thing in a matter of moments. He put the glass down and looked over at Cry.

“Another glass of water coming up,” Cry said with a smile. He filled up the glass again. Jack peeked around him and noticed he putwhat he guessed was sugar in the water. He set the glass back down in front of Ethan and turned to Tyler. “Would you like another cup of coffee too?”

“Oh no,” Tyler said as he looked down at the counter. “I don’t have enough for a second one anyway.”

“Don’t worry, it’s free of charge.”

“You sure?” Tyler asked.

“Of course. Both coffees are on the house,” Cry replied. “You’re going to need that money later to get the two of you back home.”

“If I knew where he was from,” Tyler grumbled and took a sip of his coffee.

Ethan looked around the shop like a kid in a candy store. He nearly fell out of his seat looking around Jack, but he caught his balance on the counter. Ethan looked down at the ground and then back up at Jack, his eyes wide.

“You okay?” Jack asked with a smile. Ethan pursed his lips together before looking in another direction. Jack turned his attention back to Tyler. “What did you mean, you don’t know where he’s from?”

Tyler sighed and put his coffee down. “I was out taking a walk with my dog when I saw him on the beach. He was… ah,” he looked over at Cry. “Well, he wasn’t in good shape when I found him. I thought of calling the police, but he grabbed onto me and wouldn’t let go. Every time I tried to pick up my phone, he kept taking it out of my hand and… well, it fell into the ocean and broke.”

“What luck,” Cry mused. “It’s like you’re fated to be together.”

Tyler made a face. “That’s why I came in, actually. I was wondering if I could borrow a phone to call someone.”

Cry stood up from his lean on the counter and tapped the counter. “Sorry, haven’t had a working phone in a while.” Jack raised an eyebrow. Cry took orders on the phone all the time.

“You can borrow my cell phone,” Jack answered. Cry’s head snapped over to him, and Jack got chills down his spine. “You know when you’re ready.”

“That’d be great, thanks,” Tyler said. He watched the shirt slide off Ethan’s shoulder as Ethan looked around. “I just hope they can actually help him.”

Cry stepped around the counter. He walked over to the table with Signe and Robin and motioned for her to follow him. Signe didn’t question why and followed Cry into the back room. Jack looked over at Robin, who shrugged and went back to his coffee. Jack was going to look back at Tyler, but he saw a dog sitting outside the window- looked like a golden retriever- that was staring straight at him. Huh, maybe that was Tyler’s dog.

“So, are you from around here?” Jack asked as he turned his attention back to Tyler again.

Tyler shook his head. “Cincinnati actually. I’m out here to clear my head a bit. Water always helped me think.”

“There’s no water back in Cincinnati?”

Tyler snuffed. “There is, but I wanted to get away from everything entirely.” Jack watched Tyler’s words die on his lips as he took another sip of coffee. He didn’t want to pry, but there seemed to be a story waiting to be told. He slid his coffee cup around on the table and read the looped text over and over.

Jack jumped as Cry opened the back door. Signe followed him out soon after. She caught eye contact with Jack and went back to the table. Jack watched her sit down.

“Well, thank you for the coffee,” Tyler said as he stood up from the chair. “Hey, can I borrow your phone…”

“Jack.”

“Yeah. I should be getting back to my hotel. I have to pack to go home tonight.”

Jack stuck his hand in his pocket. Cry stared at him. Even if Jack couldn’t see Cry’s eyes, he knew Cry was giving him a threatening glance. He pretended to fish around in his pocket a bit.

“Well, I must’ve forgotten my phone at home,” Jack lied. He hoped his robotic voice would pass for sincerity.

Tyler sighed. “It’s fine. Can you at least show me where the police station is?”

“It’s on the other side of town,” Cry said. “Hey, Signe!” All three turned around as Signe perked. “Can you call up someone to take these two to the police station?”

Signe smiled. “I would if I had my phone. Hey, Jack, mind if we run back to your place to get it?”

Tyler sighed. “You don’t have to go through all this trouble, really.”

“No, I insist,” Cry responded. Ethan looked back at Cry, who smiled. Cry sent a soft smile back. “These three are the best protectors I’ve ever seen.”

Tyler looked confused, but Jack caught on. Ethan was something Supernatural, but what he couldn’t figure out was how Cry knew. The boy only said one word since he came here. Of course, there were many things Jack didn’t know about Cry, but he tended to ignore most of his ignorance for politeness.

Jack stood up from his chair. “Thanks for the coffee, Cry.”

Cry nodded and continued his work. “Just make sure this little fishie gets back to the ocean for me, would you?”

Signe was at Jack’s side. Ethan backed up into Tyler once again, his hand gripping onto Tyler’s shirt. Tyler raised an eyebrow and stood up. He pulled Ethan up along with him, and Ethan didn’t take his eyes off Signe. Robin came up next, and Ethan’s attention latched onto Robin. A smile came across his face, and he let go of Tyler.

“My house is only a short 10-minute walk from here,” Jack instructed. “We’ll be down there and have you guys taken care of in no time.”

“I really appreciate this,” Tyler said.

“No, really, we’re glad you found him,” Signe said. She turned back toward the door. “We should get him back home.”

The five made their way out of the coffee shop. As they opened the door, the golden retriever ran over to Tyler’s side. Tyler leaned down and gave her a stroke on the head.

“I hope you don’t mind dogs,” Tyler said. “This is Chica. She goes everywhere with me.”

Chica walked over to Signe and sniffed her. Signe laughed as her nose tickled her palm and she gave it a gentle lick. Signe reached down and scratched her ear. The dog ran back to Tyler’s side.

Together the five, well now six, walked down the street toward Jack’s house.

 

“I’m home!” Jack called out. The rest made their way inside. Jack missed the feeling of bringing company over and hoping Felix would behave or Ken greeting everyone with that Southern charm. What he got was Mark poking his head out of the floor.

“Wow, Jack, you sure are getting popular,” he said.

Ethan jumped into Tyler’s arms.

“What got into you?” Tyler asked. Ethan pointed down at Mark. Mark rose up from the floor.

“He can see me?” Mark asked. He walked closer, and Ethan dug his head into Tyler’s collarbone. Mark waved his hand in front of Tyler’s face. “But he can’t. Is he human?” Mark squinted and muttered under his breath, “I feel like I know you…”

Chica growled and jumped up at Mark. Even if it wouldn’t hurt, Mark slid backward and looked down at the golden retriever. She growled again before standing in front of Tyler and Ethan.

“Chica,” Tyler hissed. “What’s got everyone so spooked?”

“Easy,” Mark said and held up his hands. “I wasn’t going to hurt him.”

Jack tried to hold in a laugh. “So, I’ll get my phone.”

“I’ll go with,” Signe said. Jack raised an eyebrow but didn’t question it. The two of them walked up the stairs and into Jack’s room. Signe closed the door behind them.

“Okay, what’s going on?” Jack asked and turned to her.

Signe sighed, glanced at the door, and then looked back at Jack. “Ethan is a Merman.”

Jack dry laughed but then connected the dots. “Wait, so Cry-”

“He knew,” Signe said. “Merpeople are incredibly rare to find, especially on shore. I’m afraid someone was hunting him.”

Jack felt sick. “Why?”

Signe raised an eyebrow. “You really had to ask?” She sighed. “Well, for one, some higher up Supernaturals keep them as pets. It’s illegal, but they do slip through the cracks. Their scales and tears are also really valuable on the black market. They were once all over the ocean, but as far as we know, there’s only a few left. They’ve pretty much been hunted to extinction, which is a shame because all Merpeople have ever done is help humans.”

“That’s horrible.” Jack thought aloud. “We’re not calling the police, are we?”

“My family has resources to keep Merpeople protected. I’m going to call them up and ask them for help.”

“Okay. So what if they show up and Tyler figures out they’re not police officers? Ethan won’t leave him alone now as it is.”

“I’ll get to that bit when the time comes,” Signe said. “We should probably get back to them. Hand me your phone.” Signe pulled her phone from her pocket. She dialed her family’s number and sat on Jack’s bed. “Hey, I have an emergency…”

Jack walked down the stairs and stopped halfway down. The front door was open, and Mark and Robin stood at the window looking at the front lawn. He heard Chica barking.

“What's going on?” he asked as he ran down the rest of the stairs.

“... been at least 5 years.”

That was Wade's voice. Jack joined Mark at the window. He saw Wade kneeling on the ground, petting Chica behind the ears and looking up at Tyler. Ethan stared around Tyler's arm as he hid, his head tilted in curiosity.

“At least. You live around here?” Tyler asked.

“Next door. I used to live here, but you know…”

“Yeah.” Tyler looked down at the ground, a grimace on his face, and he rapidly blinked his eyes. “He was still here the last time I came to visit.”

“He knew me,” Mark whispered, his voice in awe. He furrowed his brow and continued, “but I don't know him.”

Jack looked over at Robin and exchanged his expression, a sad smile on his face. He looked back at Wade.

“You know Jack long?”

“I actually came over for help,” Tyler looked over his shoulder at Ethan. He looked at the house and then back at Wade. “I'm glad you showed up though. I got some weird vibes from these guys.”

Wade chuckled. “Jack is one of the nicest people in YouTown. He helps people all the time. He even helped me out a few months ago. If anyone can help you, it's him.”

Tyler let out a long sigh of relief. He watched Chica lay in the grass and roll over.

Jack found this the perfect opportunity to walk out. “I see you met Wade.”

Wade laughed. “Met him? I grew up with him. Me, Mark and he were childhood friends.”

Jack heard something crash in the house but chose to ignore it. “Oh, that's nice. I'm glad you two got to meet up again.” Jack turned to Tyler. “If you want to stay and talk to Wade, I'll make sure Ethan gets home safely.”

Tyler shook his head. “I've been with him this long. I want to stick with him.”

Jack strained a smile. “Just a thought.” Well, that would've been their chance. “We called the police. They should be here in a few minutes.”

Chica whined at Tyler's side and walked over next to Ethan. Ethan reached down and scratched her behind the ear.

Wade wiped the sweat from his brow. “I'd love to stay and talk, but I have to get ready for work. Not all of us can stay at home-” Wade cut himself off. “I'm sorry.”

Tyler stared at him, a small smile tugged his lips. “Gee, thanks, Wade. I forgot how sad my life is.”

Wade caught the jab and looked down sheepishly. “Well, anyway, stop being a stranger and come by sometime after all this is over.”

The two gave a quick pat on the shoulder, and Wade walked back into his house. Tyler sighed and looked at Jack. Jack wanted to ask so many questions, but he chose to let it go.

“So, how about we go inside for a bit? I’m sure the police will be here any minute.”

“I really appreciate this,” Tyler said. Ethan followed behind him like a duckling, and Chica passed both of them out to go inside the house first. As Jack walked in, the plant by the window was knocked over, and soil lay all over the floor.

“Sorry, I bumped it by accident,” Robin said as he walked out of the kitchen with a broom and dustpan in hand. “Shouldn’t leave a mark though.”

Jack looked around the room. “No, it’s okay. I’ll pick it up.” He reached over to take the cleaning crew from Robin’s hand.

“Jack!” Mark appeared over Robin’s shoulder. Jack jumped back, and Robin stiffened. Mark leaned in closer. “I have to borrow your body. I have so many questions.”

“How about no,” Jack hissed through his teeth.

“Pleeeeease,” Mark followed Jack over to the pile of soil. “If he really was a friend of mine, I could learn so much more about myself. What if he’s like my long lost brother or something?”

“I highly doubt that,” Jack whispered as he swept up the soil and walked back into the kitchen. He looked over at Tyler, who looked like he was questioning all his life choices, and Ethan, who kept staring at Mark like the ghost was going to bite him. Jack opened the kitchen door and dumped the earth into a trash can.

Mark followed Jack. “Come on, it’s only for a few minutes. Anti won’t mind, right?”

Jack heard Anti snuff. “I think he would, and so would I. Mark, this is a human, one who is on the edge of discovering the Supernatural world now as it is. I’m still trying to figure out what we’re going to do when Signe’s family shows up and Tyler realizes it’s not the police.”

“Then let me distract him.” Mark cut off Jack and stood in front of the kitchen door. “I can ask him questions while Signe sneaks Ethan out the back door. It’d be easy.”

Jack drew in a sharp breath. It sounded easy enough, but with the way Ethan clung to Tyler, it was going to be tricky. Plus, Tyler’s dog Chica was right at Ethan’s side, and he didn’t know what the dog would do if Ethan showed distress of any kind. Heck, Chica jumped up at Mark when he got too close. What would she do if someone physically touched Ethan?

“I… let me think about it,” Jack said as he walked through Mark. Mark groaned and phased through the kitchen door, a sour expression on his face. Jack sat on the couch next to Robin, who raised an eyebrow. He hinted over at Mark, and Jack shook his head.

Tyler and Ethan sat across from them. Ethan kept watching Mark, his shoulder pressed onto Tyler, who kept glancing at the clock.

“I got ahold of someone,” Signe said as she came down the stairs. She came over and sat between Robin and Jack on the couch. “They’ll be here soon to help him.”

“Thank you,” Tyler said as he looked down at Ethan. “I just hope he knows we’re here to help and not hurt him.”

“You and me both,” Signe said. She looked over at Jack and took in a deep breath. Jack swallowed thickly and looked back at Mark. The ghost was practically sulking in the corner. It tugged at Jack’s heartstrings. Jack knew he was going to regret asking, but it felt unfair to deny Mark anything from his past.

“So, you knew Wade?”

“A long time ago,” Tyler answered.

Jack glanced over at Mark, who raised an eyebrow. “You two were close from the way you talked. How’d you meet?”

“School,” Tyler answered. “We were childhood friends.”

Jack swallowed thickly. “So you knew Mark then?”

Tyler’s eyes didn’t look up to meet his. Mark leaned over Jack’s shoulder, waiting for Tyler to continue. Jack played with this hands.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean-”

“It’s okay.” Tyler sighed. “I just… haven’t talked about him since the accident.”

“You mean when he was drowned.”

Tyler took in a deep breath. He blinked quickly and leaned back onto the couch. Ethan furrowed his eyebrows and put a hand on Tyler’s shoulder. Tyler looked over at him and gave a gentle smile. He nodded his head and looked back at Jack.

“I was supposed to come with them, but I got really sick that year. I told them I’d come next year. Well, that didn’t happen.” Tyler snuffed. “We never did figure out who it was or what they wanted.”

Jack looked back at Mark, who concentrated on Tyler’s words. They knew, but there was no way to explain it, not without blowing their secret. Mark drifted over to Tyler. Ethan watched him the entire time, his grip on Tyler’s shirt sleeve increasing. Mark’s hand hovered over Tyler’s shoulder. Chica’s head snapped up, and her eyes focused on Mark. She let out a low growl.

“Don’t!” Robin shouted, making everyone jump. Mark looked over at Jack, a determined expression on his face.

Jack knew that face. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “It’s okay. Hopefully one day, you’ll have answers.”

Robin looked between Jack and Mark, not knowing if he was talking to Tyler or Mark, but from the way Mark smiled and put his hand on Tyler’s shoulder-

Tyler flinched. “Wow, you have some strong air conditioning.”

Ethan leaned over the couch, his side pressing into Tyler’s head, and swatted at Mark. Ethan's hand went right through him of course, but he looked at Ethan with a raised eyebrow. Ethan’s face scowled. He swatted faster until Tyler pushed him away.

“You can’t hit it away,” Tyler said, an amused smile slipping onto his face. Ethan pouted. “It’s just air conditioning.”

Mark withdrew his hand. He looked over at Jack. “You’re right. I… was being stupid.” He drifted through the floor and out of sight.

Brakes squeaked outside the house. Jack looked over at Signe, who nodded, stood up, and walked over to the door. She opened it up and quickly slipped outside. Chica stood up and looked out the front window. She whined and walked back over to Ethan.

“Can,” Jack stood up from his seat on the couch, “do you want to come with me? I think I found a picture of you, Wade, and Mark. At least, I think it’s you. I can give it to you if you want.”

Tyler’s jaw dropped. He looked over at Ethan, who returned the confused look. Tyler pushed Ethan’s hand off of him.

“I’ll be right back,” he said. He followed Jack up the stairs and toward Jack’s room. Jack hoped they could get Ethan in the car without a fuss, but if they couldn’t…

“It’s right in here,” Jack said and opened the door to his room. He pulled out one of his drawers and dug around a bit. Tyler waited by the dresser and tapped the top with his finger, tapping the seconds Jack wasted away. Jack finally found the square image he hadn’t touched since he moved in.

The picture had four boys on it, maybe around 12 years old. The one in the middle, who Jack knew was Mark, was shielding himself from a water balloon. Tyler was throwing it at him, and Wade was getting ready to toss another at Mark. A fourth boy stood in the background filling up balloons, but Jack didn’t know who it was. From the looks of it, it was a relative of Mark, but that sounded too racist to clarify with Tyler.

Jack handed the picture to Tyler, and Tyler flipped the picture over. On the back was written “Happy 14th birthday Mark” and dated June 28th. Tyler’s eyes teared up.

“I didn’t mean to make you cry,” Jack apologized.

“No,” Tyler said and wiped his tears away. “You don’t know how much this means to me. Thank you, Jack.”

Chica started barking downstairs. Jack nearly jumped out of his skin. Tyler looked toward the door and started to walk out. Jack prayed they got Ethan in the car already. He practically ran down the stairs to keep up with Tyler.

However, luck wasn’t on his side for once.

“Who are you?” Tyler asked, his voice low. It sent chills through Jack’s spine.

Ethan looked up at him, his eyes wide with fear. Jack recognized Tony from an earlier meeting, who was currently trying to get past a snarling Chica.

“He’s here to help,” Signe said.

“I thought you said you called the cops,” Tyler asked.

“I…” Signe looked away. “We are going to help him, Tyler.”

“I’ll take him myself, thanks.” He walked over and pulled Ethan towards him.

“Tyler, please,” Robin said as he took a step closer. “We just want to get him home.”

“Oh yeah?” Tyler’s voice was louder, more strained. “Don’t worry about it.”

Tony reached around into his back pocket. Signe grabbed his hand and kept it pinned behind his back.

Signe spoke, “If you knew the truth, you wouldn’t believe us.”

“Try me.”

She looked between Robin and Jack. Jack gave a nod, and she continued, “Ethan is a Merman.”

“Right, and I’m Captain Nemo,” Tyler hissed.

“We’re serious,” Robin said from beside him. “Don’t you think it was strange you found him out on the beach, not knowing a word of English and no idea how our world worked?”

Tyler’s eyebrows creased. “Mermaids don’t exist.”

“Merpeople, actually,” Signe answered, “And yes, they do.”

“You are all nuts,” Tyler said and pulled Ethan closer to him.

“Tyler, please,” Jack walked down the rest of the stairs. “We aren’t lying to you.”

Tyler shook his head and laughed to himself. He looked down at Chica, who was looking between Ethan and Tony. She whimpered. Tyler scooped Ethan up in his arms and shimmied around the hunters.

“Tyler-”

“Don’t.” Tyler’s voice stopped Jack dead in his tracks. Signe reached out to touch Tyler, but he pulled away. He opened the front door, jumped down the stairs, and took off running with Ethan in hand. Chica followed after them.

“For fuck’s sake,” Tony growled. He ran out the door and toward his car. “We can’t let them get too far away. Merpeople can only survive on land for 48 hours, and who knows how long it’s already been. We have to find them, or we’re going to lose him.” He jumped in his car and took off in the direction Tyler ran.

“I tried to distract him,” Jack said as he ran a hand through his hair.

“No, it’s not your fault,” Signe said and sighed. “There was no way this was going to end well.” She pulled out Jack’s phone again and dialed her home phone. “I’m going to call for backup.”

“I’m going to look for them,” Robin said and walked toward the door. Jack followed him out. They both took off down the street.

“We’re not going to find them if they took off down the alleyways,” Jack said. Robin sighed and slowed to a halt.

“They could be anywhere.” Robin looked around. “I’ll take the north side if you take the south.” Jack nodded. Robin put a hand on Jack’s shoulder. “Be careful.”

“You too.” Jack took off away from Robin.

He heard Anti murmur in his mind, “You know the south side is a Supernatural hot spot.”

“I know,” Jack answered, “but hopefully we find them before dark, and I won’t have to rely on you for protection.”

“Hopefully.”

 

To any normal person, the south side of town was a rather clean area. Everyone seemed overly friendly to one another, there were good food stands, great eating places, theaters, and other entertainment hot spots. And there was plenty of nightlife as well, including bars, a casino, and PJ’s hotel.

It was also the most dangerous place for Jack to be alone at night. Thankfully he still had three hours until sundown. If he didn’t find Tyler, perhaps it would be best to lie low at PJ’s hotel for the night. He did want to get to know the young vampire after all. Signe told him minor things about him, but nothing life-altering.

Jack felt his phone buzz. His heart leaped into his throat. Jack pulled it out and took a look at his messages, which had one missed group message between Signe, Robin, and him.

     Wiishu:   
     “Any luck?”

     Pixlpit:   
     “Saw them at the police station, but Ethan wouldn’t go in. Tyler took off again when he saw me.“

     Wiishu:   
     “Track them the best you can. We’re on our way.”

Jack put a quick “be there soon” and looked around. Tyler had to be way out of sight by now. He gritted his teeth. If Tyler came to the south side, someone was bound to pick up Ethan before they did.

“Well, what brings you to my neighborhood?”

Jack turned as PJ came toward him, grocery bags in hand. Jack couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.

“I’m-” he looked around, “just looking for someone.”

“Felix?”

Jack had to think for a moment. “No, something else. Something more important.”

“Ouch, I won’t tell him you said that.” PJ snickered.

Jack chose to ignore that. He gave a quick “talk to you later” to PJ and went to walk past him.

“Jack, wait,” PJ said. Jack turned. “You have to take him back. He’s driving me mad.”

Jack snuffed. “He can come back whenever he wants.”

“It’s,” PJ sighed. “It’s more he needs to grow up and get over it than anything.”

“He’s 300 years old!” Jack threw his hands up in the air. “How much growing up does he need to do?”

PJ bit his lip. “He’s just afraid of losing you, so he thinks if he ignores the problem, he’s not going to have to face your rejection.”

“Me?” Jack scrunched up his nose. That was the silliest thing he ever heard. Felix knew Jack wouldn’t throw him out cold turkey like that. Sure, he was mad it happened, but he’d be willing to give Felix a second chance if they talked about it.

Of course, what if Jack wasn’t the only person he talked about it with?

Jack thought of Anti, and how much he toyed with his mind. What if he got to Felix the same way? Jack sighed. Anti stirred inside him, but Jack chose to ignore him. So it was true. All this time Felix was avoiding him, and Anti was raking in the results.

Jack glanced at his phone. He didn’t want to give up the search for Ethan, but he knew very well at this point it was going to be impossible to find them, but if something happened to Ethan while he was messing around with Felix, he’d never forgive himself.

However, this could be his only chance to catch Felix while the wound was still fresh. He wanted that closure so bad. He needed that closure, no matter how selfish it sounded.

When did his life get so complicated?

“I’ll be by later tonight,” he said. “I’m busy right now, but I will be back for him.”

“Helping another lost soul?” PJ’s expression softened. “You’re too kind to us, Jack.”

Jack raised an eyebrow. “How’d you know?”

PJ laughed softly. “Jack, I may be young compared to other Vampires, but I’m wise enough to know when someone’s found their purpose in life.”

“Wha-”

“Helping others. Giving them hope when they have none. Giving us hope when we have none.” PJ turned and started walking down the street. “You’re a good man, Jack. Never change that.”

Jack watched him disappear around the corner before taking off down the street.

 

The streetlights flickered as night set over YouTown. People retired to their homes for the night, crickets began chirping, and the cool night air blanketed the earth. The air smelled of sea mist from the ocean.

Signe paced back and forth in front of the Police building. Several times, an officer came out and asked her if she needed help, but she kept insisting she was waiting for a friend. Eventually, they all began to leave her alone, well save for a young officer that gave her a blanket while she waited.

A car pulled up in front of her and rolled down the window. “Any sign yet?”

Signe shook her head. “Who knows where they got to by now.”

“It’s too late for Robin and Jack to be outside alone.” Tony motioned for her to get in the car. “I’m afraid we lost this one.”

Signe hugged her arms and walked to the car. “I’m sorry I stopped you.”

“Don’t be.” Tony tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “Who knows what would’ve happened if I took that shot.”

Signe quick remembered the blanket, folded it, and put it on the steps, hoping the officer who gave it to her would be back for it. She slid into the passenger’s seat and began calling Robin to see where he was.

From the shadow of an alleyway, a head poked out and watched the car leave. He breathed a sigh of relief and ducked back inside.

“I thought they’d never leave.” Tyler looked back at Ethan. The younger one was currently wrapped around Chica, all his spark from before washed out of his face. Chica whined and looked up at Tyler.

“Don’t worry, Chica. We’ll get him home soon.” Tyler leaned down to grab Ethan’s hand.

Ethan didn’t even glance up at Tyler. He stared down at the pavement. His breathing was rather heavy for someone who did no running today. Tyler raised an eyebrow.

“Come on, Ethan. It’s time to get you home.”

Ethan’s eyes finally turned to look at him. Tyler flinched at how exhausted Ethan looked, how pale his skin grew.

“H-home,” he managed to groan, his voice scratchy.

Chica licked Ethan’s face and whimpered. Tyler looked back at the police station and how those people waited all day for him to arrive.

“Those nuts. There’s no such thing as mermaids,” he grumbled. He had no idea why they were there or what they wanted, but he knew that much was true. Tyler leaned down and lifted Ethan up again. He noted how dry Ethan’s skin felt, almost scaly, and his head rolled against Tyler’s shoulder.

Chica barked and tugged at Ethan’s shirt. Tyler pulled Ethan out of her grasp and furrowed an eyebrow.

“What’s got into you?” He looked from Chica to Ethan. Ethan’s eyes were closed, almost twisted in pain, and his heart was pounding through his whole body. How did he get so bad in such a short amount of time? “Maybe I should take him to the hospital instead of the police station.”

He took a few steps out of the alleyway. If he took Ethan to the police station, they’d probably take care of him. They’d get him medical care and help him find-

“H-home.” Ethan’s eyes cracked open, and he looked at Tyler.

Tyler’s heart ached looking at those once bright eyes dulled like a penny in water.

“Yes, I’m getting you home.” Tyler started to walk toward the police station.

“Tyler.”

He looked down at Ethan, but the boy was slumped against his chest. No, that wasn’t Ethan’s voice. Tyler turned around. A woman with blond hair stepped out of the alleyway. How long had she been there?”

“Who are you?” Tyler asked.

The girl stared at him, her brown eyes familiar in the low light. She put a hand to Ethan’s head and withdrew it. “He’s burning up.”

“I know,” Tyler said as he pulled Ethan away from her a little. “I’m getting him help.”

“Not here. They can’t help him here.” She pulled on Tyler’s shirt sleeve. “We have to get him home.”

“You know where he lives?” Tyler asked.

“By the beach,” she said with a nod.

“By the be…you’re one of them, aren’t you?”

Her head turned around to look at him. “Who?”

Tyler’s eyes narrowed. He pulled his arm out of her grip.

“Wait,” she called, but Tyler ignored her. “Wait. Wait! Tyler, please. Stay!” She ran out in front of him. Tyler stopped dead in his tracks. She held her hands out, her eyes wide with worry. Her voice was gentle. “Stay. Please, Tyler... stay.”

Tyler raised an eyebrow. “And why should I do what you say?”

The girl wrung her hands together. She looked down at the ground, her eyes tearing up a bit. Her voice faded to a whisper. “Please. Don’t make me show you.”

Tyler wanted to walk past her, but something kept pulling him towards her. Ethan’s head rolled over toward her, and his lips curled into a smile.

“Chica,” Ethan croaked.

The girl’s head snapped up.

Tyler dry laughed. “No, Ethan. Not every girl is named Chica.”

“I am,” she said, her confidence wavering a bit. Tyler furrowed a brow and looked behind him. Chica disappeared from the alleyway.

“Chica, come here girl,” he called. He waited. Strange, she always came when he called her.

“I’m here.”

Tyler turned his head back to her. “No, not you. My dog.”

“I am,” she said again, her voice growing hysterical. “I am Chica. I’m your Chica. Tyler, please.”

Tyler turned to her. “You are not my dog. You are a girl. Stop playing games; I wasn’t born yesterday.”

Her eyes widened and tears began falling. She looked down at the ground, a slight sob choking from her throat. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you upset. I… I’m scared.”

Tyler’s anger melted away. Ethan’s hand reached out, his skin cracked, and pet her on the head. She looked up as Ethan’s hand went down to her cheek, and he wiped a tear away. Tyler watched the dry skin on Ethan’s thumb disappear with the teardrop.

“Chica,” Ethan repeated again. Tyler opened his mouth to retort, but he stopped mid-breath.

The girl’s shoulders lurched forward, and she landed on all fours. Tyler was about to help her up when he watched her whole body begin to grow fur. Her bones shortened and grew until there was a dog standing in front of him.

No, not any dog. A golden retriever. His dog.

“Chica,” Tyler breathed out. Chica looked up at him, and her tail curled between her legs.

Tyler blinked his eyes. He must’ve fallen asleep in that alleyway. There was no way this girl changed into his dog in front of his eyes. He looked back at the alleyway, hoping Chica would walk out, and there would be two dogs standing in front of him. When he looked back, the girl was sitting on the ground, but this time she wouldn’t make eye contact with him.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you upset,” she said. “I had to do something. He’s going to die.” She stood and pulled on Tyler’s shirt sleeve. “Please, Tyler. Take him home.”

“Home?” Ethan’s head perked at the word.

Tyler looked between Ethan and the girl. He must still be dreaming. He took one long look at the police station and then sighed.

“Okay, I’ll bite. We’ll take him to the ocean. But I’m telling you, there’s no way he’s a mermaid.”

“Merman,” the girl corrected. She pulled on Tyler’s sleeve. “Come.”

Tyler rolled his eyes but followed. After what he just watched, he’d go wherever this crazy dream was taking him.

 

The beach was quite a bit away, but the journey seemed to take minutes. All the more reason for Tyler to believe this was a dream. His dog was not a girl. Ethan was not a mermaid. He was asleep in the alleyway.

The rhythmic sound of the waves stirred Ethan from Tyler’s chest.

“Home. Home,” he kept repeating, his heart pounding harder.

“Easy, don’t give yourself a stroke,” Tyler said with a chuckle. The girl led Tyler to the edge of the pier. The waves were calm below them, and the sea mist tickled his cheeks. The full moon glowed on the water, and the stars twinkled above them.

Tyler shook his head. This was nuts. If he dropped Ethan in there in his condition, he’d sink right to the bottom. Even if this was a dream, he wasn’t going to watch someone drown in the water. Well, he could swim after him, but he’d rather not.

Ethan squirmed in Tyler’s grip. Tyler’s hand slipped, and Ethan tumbled out of his arms and into the water.

Tyler called out Ethan’s name. The boy disappeared below the waves. Tyler started tugging his shoes off. He was about to jump in when a head poked out of the water. Tyler collapsed to the edge of the pier, his heart pounding in his chest.

“You scared the hell out of me,” Tyler huffed. Ethan pulled himself up to the edge of the pier. Tyler noted how Ethan’s hair didn’t look wet at all and… were those fins on his ears?

Tyler’s eyes drifted down to Ethan’s neck. Blue and green scales appeared in patches on his skin, and gills moved on his neck. And as Ethan leaned against the pier, a giant fishtail flopped above the water. It shimmered blue in the moonlight and splashed back into the water.

“You really are a mermai… merman,” Tyler said, his eyes wide with shock. Ethan backflipped into the water. After a few seconds, he reappeared at the dock’s edge again.

“Tyler,” Ethan repeated and reached out for Tyler’s hand. Tyler shivered as Ethan’s scaly hand grabbed onto his. He put a shell in Tyler’s hand- no it appeared to be an oyster- and looked at him expectantly. Tyler looked inside. He pulled a pearl out of the shell and examined it in the moonlight.

“It’s beautiful,” Tyler said. “Thank you.”

“Thank you,” Ethan repeated again. He looked back at the ocean. “Home.”

Tyler chuckled. “Yeah, I guess so.”

For a dream, Tyler’s heart ached an awful lot. He sat back on the dock and blinked away the tears in the corner of his eyes. He then looked over at the girl, who was rubbing the top of Ethan’s hair.

“Chica,” he said. “Thank you.”

She giggled and kissed the top of his head. Ethan blushed and ducked down on the pier until only his eyes peeked over.

Tyler sighed. “I guess I should thank you too. Without you, he would’ve never gotten home.”

“Merpeople are special to our world,” she said. “They’re a dying race. I’d do anything to see them return.”

“You’re world?” Tyler mumbled. How many of them were there?

She nodded, and then her smile turned into a frown. “I guess this is goodbye.”

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t show a human my secret. It’s against the rules.” She pulled her knees close to her chest.

“I won’t tell,” Tyler said. “And besides, even if it is weird, you’re still… sort of.. my dog… this is too weird a sentence, but I mean, you’re still my Chica.”

She giggled. “My name is Amy.”

“Huh?”

“My real name. It’s Amy. You can still call me Chica if you want though.”

Tyler smiled. “I like Amy better.”

She looked back at him, her brown eyes shimmering like the ocean. “I do too.”

Tyler heard footsteps coming down the pier. Amy’s head snapped back, and she sucked in a deep breath. Tyler turned his head as well.

A man walked toward them, his hands folded behind his back. His hair was pulled into a ponytail behind his head, either silver or light blond in the moonlight. He walked with a limp on his left side, and a black circle ring hat kept his eyes shaded.

Ethan ducked behind the pier and let out a low whimper. Tyler looked between where Ethan was and the man approaching him.

“It’s a bit late to be out on the docks, don’t you think?” the man asked, his voice low.

Tyler stood up. Amy stood up as well and kept close to him. She grabbed onto Tyler’s arm and pulled herself close.

“We were just heading out,” Tyler said.

The man chuckled. “Sorry if I interrupted your time with your girlfriend.”

Tyler resisted the urge to correct the man. He forced a smile. “We probably should be getting home.”

Tyler watched a few more men appear on the beach. One stepped out of a van, while two others were already making their way down the pier. Amy gripped tighter onto Tyler’s arm.

“What’s your hurry? We’ve been waiting an awfully long time for you to get back.”

Tyler stepped in front of Amy, shielding her from view. Amy looked behind them. Ethan was nowhere in sight. Hopefully, he got sense enough to swim out into the ocean.

“What do you want?” Tyler growled.

“Relax, I’m not interested in you. I’m interested in your little friend.”

Tyler heard Amy growl behind him. He spat, “You stay away from her.”

“I don’t want your girlfriend, boy.” The man tilted his head back, revealing a long scar running down the side of his face. “I’m here for your Merman.”

“He’s long gone,” Amy growled.

The man snuffed. “Merpeople are incredibly loyal to those who save their lives. I don’t think he’ll be leaving you anytime soon. Besides, you already made this more of a headache for me. This time, I intend for it to go smoothly.”

The two men were at his side now. Tyler noted one grabbed a gun at the side of his belt, and the other was holding a rope of some sort.

“Can you swim?” Tyler whispered to Amy.

“I can.”

“Good.”

Tyler pushed Amy backward into the water and followed her in. The cold water kicked him in the gut, but he urged himself to press forward. They swam out into the black waters before resurfacing quite a bit away from the pier. From there, he could hear the man shouting angrily at the people who followed him.

Well, that was one problem out of the way.

“Are you okay?” Tyler asked.

Amy shuddered before nodding her head. “I’m fine. Now, what do we do?”

“Tyler!”

Tyler turned his head as Ethan swam over to him.

“Get outta here!” Tyler said as he waved his hand. “Those men are after you. They’re going to hurt you. Go.”

Ethan tilted his head to the side.

“He can’t understand,” Amy sighed. “It’s pointless now. He’ll stay with us until he knows we’re safe, and right now, we’re out in open water in the middle of the night. He knows we’re not safe here.”

Tyler grit his teeth, mostly to keep them from chattering. The men on the beach were out of sight. He didn’t know where they went or if they’d be waiting for him and Amy to return to the beach. However, they wouldn’t be able to tread water forever.

Or maybe they wouldn’t have to.

Tyler first heard then saw a motorboat heading toward them. However, as the boat drew closer, he recognized a man holding his hat as the boat barreled toward them. His heart pounded in his chest.

“Swim to shore,” he urged and started to swim. Amy was behind him, and Ethan dove down into the water to follow them below.

The boat proved quicker, and it cut Tyler off, splashing up water in its heavy turn. Tyler watched a net sail over the side of the boat. It landed on top of him, and before he could react, it swooped under him and picked both he and Amy up out of the water. Multiple people pulled them both onto the side of the boat. Tyler pulled at the net, and Amy tried to chew through, but they proved too thick for the both of them.

As soon as they were on deck, hands were pulling Tyler from the rope. He struggled and elbowed one of them in the gut, but as one hand left another was there, pinning his arms behind his back and tying his wrists together. He heard Amy yelp to his side, and he tried to turn his head to make sure she was alright.

Two men forced Tyler to the ground and tied the rope connecting his wrists to a plank that ran across the boat. He pulled at the knot. Amy was soon at his side, her hair matted to the side of her face, and lip bleeding slightly.

The man from before walked up to them. Tyler tried to kick out at him, but his legs wouldn’t reach. The man laughed. He then turned to his crew. “Keep your lanterns lit on the water. There’s no way that fish will abandon them.”

Tyler hoped Ethan would swim away and forget about them. He didn’t want him getting into this mess.

His mind thought back to Jack, and the conversation they had. These must've been the bad people that were after Ethan. He never felt so stupid before.

“I should have listened to them,” Tyler groaned. “Those people were trying to help.”

“It’s not your fault,” Amy said. “You didn’t know.”

Tyler snuffed. Once again, his stubbornness got him into trouble. Amy pressed her shoulder into his and took away a bit of the night’s chill.

“I think I see him.”

Tyler’s head snapped over to the right side of the boat. The man looked over the rail and wrung his hand together.

“Bring the boy,” he said. “He’s the perfect bait.”

Two men grabbed Tyler under the armpits. Amy snapped at one of them, but they pulled out of her way before she could make contact. Tyler struggled to his feet. He tried to dig his heels into the deck. The men got him to the other side regardless.

From the distance, Tyler saw Ethan’s blue tail flash in the water.

“Don’t,” he mumbled under his breath. He watched another crew lowering a net into the water. Warm breath tickled his ear, and Tyler flinched.

“I hope you can swim.”

Tyler’s eyes widened as he was lifted off the ground and pushed toward the edge. His stomach flopped as he dropped back first into the water, his hands still bound behind him. The cold water crushed him. He tried to keep his mouth closed even though his body screamed. Tyler twisted his body and tried to get his feet under him. The net hit his back. Tyler couldn’t figure out which way was up. He kicked his feet, but they tangled themselves in the net.

Tyler felt hands at his side. He couldn’t open his eyes, but he knew it was Ethan. Tyler wanted to scream. He wanted to tell Ethan to swim away. Ethan’s scaly fingers ghosted over Tyler’s neck. He started to pull Tyler up.

The net pulled up faster than Ethan could swim. The weight of gravity pushed them into the net as it surfaced. Ethan let out a shrill shriek, and Tyler wished he could cover his ears. Right now he’d settle for coughing up salt water.

Dizziness blurred Tyler’s world into swirling colors and shapes. He remembered someone patting his back to help get the water out. He heard Ethan flopping around on the deck. Amy was yelling something.

“That a boy,” he heard the man say behind him. “Cough it all out. You deserve it.”

Tyler lay on the side of the deck and tried to catch his breath. He let his eyes slip closed and hoped it’d take his exhaustion away.

“You bastard. How could you hunt such innocent creatures,” Amy growled.

The man laughed. “Innocent? The Supernatural are far from innocent, dear.”

A man shouted. “William, sir, they’re waiting with the truck on the beach.”

“Excellent. Tell them to be ready for an extra large fish.”

The boat sped to the docks. Tyler heard Ethan calling his name, but he didn’t have the strength to respond. The motor died and the boat docked soon after. Waves disoriented Tyler further, and he wondered just how much salt water he swallowed.

“What about them?”

“We can’t have them blabbing our secret, can we? We’ll take them with until this is all over. I won’t have some human stealing my thunder. I’ve waited 30 years for this.”

Tyler felt his body lifted from the floorboards of the boat. He heard Amy yelling behind him. Tyler should have been looking for a way out. He should’ve been helping Amy and Ethan get away. But he was so tired…

There was a large crack and a grunt of pain. A man growled, “That little bitch!”

“Someone grab her!”

“She’s getting away!”

Tyler put the pieces together. He cracked an eye open. Amy took off down the sand and toward the streets. She made it to the edge of the beach and ducked into one of the alleyways.

“Someone go after her,” William ordered. “If she squeals and ruins this on me, this merman isn’t the only one going to be fillet.”

Ethan kept repeating Amy’s name. William leaned in close to him, and Ethan clammed up.

“You’re going to make me the happiest man alive, do you know that boy?” William chuckled. “Load him and the other one into the van. Finally, I can prove the Supernatural world exists.”

**Author's Note:**

> Dun, dun, duuuuuuun!
> 
> You all got to meet William finally. Are you happy? :)
> 
> One more part in this act of the Supernatural AU, but don't worry. The series is far from ending. I have other stories that are going to happen after this, but they're not going to focus solely on Jack discovering who he is. I mean, Jack is still a major character, but much like how this chapter ended, he may not always be present. 
> 
> I hope you can wait for the next part. It's going to take a lot of effort to make this right, and some old friends might be coming back to help fix it.


End file.
